Boston is home to the five-time Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots, so we know a lot about gridiron greatness. But a new exhibition at the Museum of Science, aptly titled “Gridiron Glory,” a traveling Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibit, shows there is a lot more greatness across professional football than what transpires at Gillette Stadium.

Comprised of more than 200 photographs, documents, clips from NFL Films and other artifacts from the 125-year history of professional football, the exhibit is on view through Jan. 7. And don’t worry, David Tyree’s helmet from the Patriots dramatic loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII is nowhere to be found. What you can see is the selection card the Patriots turned in to select Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 draft, and the jersey Broncos quarterback John Elway wore during “The Drive,” the now legendary 98-yard march he led the Broncos on in the final five minutes of the 1987 AFC Championship Game against Cleveland.

About a hundred guests attended a VIP reception at the museum last week, including former Patriots players Steve Grogan, quarterback, 1975-1990; Paul Francisco, tight end, 1994; and Matt Chatham, linebacker, 2000-2005. The players took photos with attendees and signed autographs. Chatham happily indulged fans, letting them try on his 2004 Super Bowl ring.

While there are plenty of Patriots-related items to view, such as the Nov. 18, 1959, letter that started it all – a notice from Lamar Hunt awarding William Sullivan the Boston franchise in the new American Football League – there is even more to see for fans of any football team, or even just fans of history and, yes, science.

Visitors will explore the connection between football and science through interactives and artifacts showing the technological advances of equipment, for example, where fans can try on NFL helmets with a communication device inside, giving them a taste of what quarterbacks hear during games. Another station lets fans test the air pressure on footballs (insert your own Deflategate joke) and another lets attendees try to score a field goal by catapulting a mini-football through the uprights after calculating the right amount of force, distance and trajectory.

The exhibit covers all phases of the game. It “is designed to galvanize fans in a compelling way,” said Joe Horrigan, executive vice president at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

If you’ve ever second-guessed a ref, then check out the replica replay booth where you can go under the hood and see what it’s like to be a referee reviewing a challenged call. The “Training Camp” space has passing challenges and a chance to do the vertical and broad jumps like a college player at the NFL Combine. For comparison’s sake, the results of active NFL players are posted nearby. To grasp the sheer size and strength of professional players, you can measure your hands in various molds and models against the grips of quarterbacks Warren Moon, Jim Kelly and Troy Aikman, your arms against the 20-inch biceps of Chiefs’ tackle Irv Eatman and your legs against the 26-inch thighs of Jerome Bettis. He’s not called The Bus for nothing.

“‘Gridiron Glory’ presents an opportunity for fans to experience the intersection of sports, society and science,” said Ioannis Miaoulis, president and director of the Museum of Science.

In regards to social change, visitors can learn about coaches and star players, including those who broke down barriers, like Fritz Pollard, pro football’s first African-American head coach, and Washington’s Doug Williams, the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl.

Other slices of football history include the ball carried by Rams running back Eric Dickerson when he broke the rushing record in 1984, and the clubbed-shoe of former Saints kicker, Tom Dempsey, who was born without toes on his kicking foot.

Local football fans will especially appreciate the exhibit’s displays of New England Patriots artifacts. The team has played a major role in the sport dating back to the days of playing at Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium, Boston College, and finally, Foxboro.

Patriots-specific memorabilia includes:

The jersey worn by Tom Brady when he threw his 400th career touchdown
Bill Belichick’s jacket from Super Bowl XXXVI
Belichick’s playbook from Super Bowl XXV when he was the defensive coordinator for the Giants
Cleats worn by Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII
Rob Gronkowski’s jersey from when he tied the single-season record for touchdown receptions by a tight end (December 4, 2011)
The football from the Nov. 15, 2015, game when the team broke the NFL record for scoring in consecutive quarters
Gloves worn by Randy Moss when he recorded his 150th touchdown reception
Turf from the old Sullivan Stadium
The football commemorating Robert Kraft as the owner to reach the 250th-win milestone (368 games) fastest
Patriots helmets worn by Andre Tippett, Stanley Morgan and Curtis Martin.

Dana Barbuto may be reached at dbarbuto@ledger.com or follow her on Twitter @dbarbuto_Ledger.